TEMPE, Ariz. — I saw Emmitt Smith run for the Arizona Cardinals, Mike Modano skate for the Detroit Red Wings and Steve Nash dribble for the Phoenix Suns.

Sporting greatness just doesn’t stay put in North Texas in an era of free agency and salary caps.

So I guess I can get used to Josh Hamilton swinging his bat for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this summer. His divorce from the Rangers came down in December but was consummated Thursday when Hamilton reported to spring training with his new team.

For the first time in five Februarys, when Hamilton arrived in Phoenix for spring training he didn’t head west to Surprise. He headed east to Tempe. When asked if he was tempted to drive to the Rangers’ training complex, he was emphatic.

“No,” snapped Hamilton, who was attending a camp-opening news conference along with his new teammates and fellow sluggers Albert Pujols and Mike Trout.

Surprise and the Rangers are in his rearview mirror.

“I loved Texas,” Hamilton said. “I loved the organization. I had a great time with them. But now I’m an Angel. I know where I need to be every day. I’m excited to be here. Excited to meet the guys, excited to spend time with them, get to know them and win some ball games.”

Hamilton didn’t love Texas enough to stay. Not when the Angels were offering a five-year contract worth $125 million with a $10 million signing bonus. Hamilton had told the Rangers he would give them a chance to match any offer, but when the Angels told him to take it or leave it, he took it.

That left the Rangers without the biggest bat in baseball’s most prolific lineup.

The Rangers overcame the departure of Hank Blalock and his 25 homers to win their first American League pennant in 2010. They overcame the departure of Cliff Lee and his playoff grit to win their second pennant in 2011. They overcame the departure of C.J. Wilson and his 16 wins to qualify for the postseason a franchise-record third consecutive season in 2012.

But Hamilton’s departure leaves a void that dwarfs the exits of Blalock, Lee and Wilson.

The Rangers were the highest-scoring team in baseball last season, and Hamilton was King Kong hitting third in Ron Washington’s lineup card. He finished second in all of baseball in home runs (43) and RBIs (128) and eighth in runs (103).

Gone are his tape-measure home runs and diving catches in center field. Gone are his 2010 American League MVP award and four starting appearances in the All-Star game.

But also gone are his bats flying into the stands down the first-base line after wild and unsuccessful swings. Gone are his 162 strikeouts and some hellacious slumps last summer.

Also gone is that dropped fly ball on the final day of the regular season that opened the door for the A’s to steal the West. Gone is his disappearance at the plate in the one-and-done wild-card playoff loss to Baltimore when Hamilton went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice, grounding into a double play and stranding three runners in a 5-1 debacle.

It’s not the way the Rangers wanted to end their season. It wasn’t the way Hamilton wanted to end his season. It certainly wasn’t the way Hamilton would have liked to end his career in Arlington.

But repairing what ails the Rangers is no longer a concern of Hamilton. His concern is what the Angels can achieve in 2013, not the achievements and failures of the Rangers during his four years in Arlington.

“Every year is different,” said Hamilton at the close of the news conference. “You don’t carry baggage — things that didn’t happen or you wish that did happen — forward into the next season. You don’t live in the past.

“You think about the present and what you can do right now to be better and more efficient than you were. I don’t think I have any unfinished business [in Texas]. We’ll just get after it [here] and see what kind of business gets taken care of.”

Circle April 5 on your calendar. That’s when Hamilton returns to Arlington for the first time with his AL West-favorite Angels. That’s when he’ll have the chance to address some new business — and maybe the Rangers can address one last bit of old business.

Listen to Rick Gosselin at 10:50 a.m. Tuesdays on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310) with Norm Hitzges.

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